In retrospect, it did not look good
by Nev Longbottom
Summary: "Oh my god." Ned says faintly. "I said I was looking at porn."


A/N: Two important things for you guys to know. One, this is crossposted from my AO3 so if you read it there, haven't really changed anything. Two, I came up with this while laying in bed one two a.m. with terrible insomnia, and thinking about how bad it must have looked out of context. Also, I'm not wearing my glasses so this entire thing has been thrown together in ten minutes and I haven't even tried to proofread. #NORAGRETS

Peter goes to school on Monday, feeling loose and warm the way he had only ever felt on the first morning of summer break. Aunt May grounded him forever but once she stopped yelling her lungs out - she gave Peter a hug and murmured, "I have never been so proud and angry in my life." before turning her rage at Tony and leaving him a series of increasingly furious voicemails. Peter feels free in a way he hasn't felt in a long- no. He feels free in a way he's never felt before.

His vibe is ruined ten minutes into homeroom, when people literally boo him during attendance and even the teacher, Mrs. Rocinante, is looking at him with annoyance. Even Flash takes up his dick moves to another level, shoving Peter's books off his desk.

"Penis Parker is took good for you, asshole," he spits at Peter when the bells ring to change classes. For the rest of the morning it feels like he's being hazed by the freshman class. His chair has water spilled on it, someone drops a nickel into his chemistry beaker in the middle of the lab, and even the chess team glares at him and tells him to get out when he tries to go to the library. Peter leaves before Monique goes through her threat of hitting him with a TI-89.

He rushes to their lunch table at the first sign of the bell before anyone can 'accidentally' drop a bottle of soda on him. Again. He's waiting on full alert with his eyes on the hall when Ned walks in and someone throws a spitball at Ned's face.

"So, I hate to ask but...did Flash start some kind of rumor or something? I feel like people are mad." Peter asks. "Like, this is isn't normal. Right?"

Ned shrugs. "I figure everyone's mad about Liz leaving school. You did stand her up in the middle of Homecoming and then she left the school. I mean, we know it's probably because of her Dad but it does not look good."

"Thanks not why people are mad." MJ says, suddenly sitting on a bench Peter could have sworn was empty.

She squints at them in a way that Peter's learned to recognize means she's judging them but also forgot to put in her contacts. "Yeah, it's not just dumping Liz and makign her change schools. People are mad that you dumped Liz during homecoming to go have sex together."

It's like having a bucket of water poured on him and being punched in the face by alien tech at the same time. "What."

MJ squints harder. "Seriously? You tell Liz that she deserves better that you in front of everyone and then you and Ned disappear from the dance. Some kids overheard the teachers talking about Ned getting detention of inappropriate sexual behavior for something that happened at Prom...,"

Peter lowly turns back to Ned with his eyes wide open.

Ned is frantically shaking his head and saying, "Dude no, no dude, no," while MJ keeps talking.

"..and both you guys have been in detention together ever since. Flash figured out this weekend that you two got caught hooking up minutes after you dumped Liz and he's been telling everyone ever. I've been texted about it in four group chats."

Ned lets out a small pained noise.

Peter can't understand what- "What?"

"Oh my god." Ned says faintly. "I said I was looking at porn."

Peter has to ask. He feeling a slowly, numbing sense of horror as he asks, "Were you?"

Ned turns towards MJ and looks back at Peter. "Yes." Ned lies, his chin squared in a way that Peter knows Ned's a little insulted Peter even had to ask.

MJ stops squinting and slowly turns to Peter with one eyebrow arched. "And you big boy? Why'd weren't you at the dance?"

Peter can't think of a cover story. He tries to think of a lie and his mouth just says. "Porn."

Ned shakes his head in what he thinks passes for subtle as MJ's goes very still and blinks furiously.

"But not together. Separate. At home." Peter stammer. "I' have detention for the rest of the year any way from skipping class and stuff. Not the- Umm."

MJ holds up a hand and Peter shut up as Ned still. "Look losers, this school does not have an LGBTQA club so my friend options were you two or the terrifying lesbian love rectangle two tables over.."

Ned says, "Oh, Shelbys a lesbian?" at the same time as Peter says, "Shelby's a girl?"

Even Ned gives Peter a weird look at that one. "Shelby threw a party and everything. There were four kinds of punch. It was awesome. Where were you?"

"Stark Internship," MJ replies in a flat tone before Peter can reach for the words.

He looks around the cafeteria and realizes he's spent his entire Sophomore year completely disconnected from everyone around him. He knows the names of five people in the room, maybe ten tops and there's only 60 people in the Engineering track at Midtown Science. He feels small then, in the weight of all the things he's thrown away in order to play hero.

He'll do better. He'll be better.

"I'll have to start paying more attention," Peter says, folding his arms and putting his head down.

Ned's voice is muffled when he asks, "Wait, MJ did you just come out?"

Peter's head shoots back up. "I just missed another thing. I am so sorry MJ-"

MJ looks away scowling before Peter can finish stammering an apology. "Whatever. Maybe. What did you guys get in #8 in calculus?"n."


End file.
